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ABOUT GLOBAL LENS

The Global Lens film series was launched in 2003 to support the distribution of unique and critically acclaimed cinematic works from around the world. All proceeds from the series support community arts-initiatives, filmmaker grants and education programs…More

FILM INFORMATION

Synopsis A government official, carrying a message from Iran’s president, travels across Iranian Kurdistan with his driver and a young guide on a mission to stop 111 young Kurdish women from committing suicide in protest against conditions that have left them spinsters. Racing against the clock, they travel into territory simmering with resentment at official neglect and the hardship it has sown among a proud people. Against a dramatically colorful physical and human landscape, wistful longing mingles with dreamlike desire and absurdist humor as the three travelers meander helplessly in a land riddled with contradictions.

About the Directors Nahid Ghobadiwas born in Baneh, Iran in 1964. She studied librarianship at Tehran University and film at Columbia College Hollywood, is a published poet and has directed nine short films and documentaries. About 111 Girls is her first feature film.

Bijan Zamanpira was born in Sanandaj, Iran in 1965. He studied Persian
language and literature at Payame Noor University in Tehran and has directed eleven short films and documentaries. About 111 Girls is his first feature film.

“Highly effective as agitprop, 111 Girls can also be understood as a reflection on what it takes, in this day and age, to get your voice heard or your image seen.” -FIPRESCI

“[About] 111 Girls is unsubtle in its message that Iraq’s destructive legacy and a recent penchant for conflict are among the roots of Kurdish distress. It’s not a new idea, but Ghobadi and Zmanpira’s rendering of it is at once beautiful — Hamid Ghavami’s gorgeous, overwhelming cinematography underscores Kurdish isolation perfectly — and oddly humorous.” -Hollywood Reporter

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

Busan International Film Festival
São Paulo International Film Festival